Everything was aligning for the Falcons to make the Super Bowl for the first time since 1999. A resounding win over Seattle showed the offense was capable of being as dominant in the playoffs as it was in the regular season. The way the Falcons broke the spirit of a perennial contender like they did sent a message across the league.
Green Bay’s upset win over Dallas meant the Falcons would get one more game inside the Georgia Dome. Nobody could have scripted it better after three seasons of missing
the playoffs. The Falcons had the opportunity to give the iconic stadium the best farewell possible. For them to do it against a prestigious franchise with one of the all-time greatest quarterbacks made this NFC Championship even more special.
The Packers were wounded going into the game, but Aaron Rodgers was on one of his vintage hot streaks. The sight of him throwing dimes across the field with his quick release and incredible velocity was terrifying for opposing defenses.
No matter how flawed Green Bay’s roster was, they had a stone-cold assassin at quarterback who had once put on an extraordinary playoff performance in the Georgia Dome. The Falcons didn’t exactly have a stone-cold assassin, but they did have the imminent 2016 NFL MVP. It was Matt Ryan’s time to deliver another all-time great performance to get the Falcons back to the Super Bowl and send the Georgia Dome out in style.
A first half to remember
Some of Ryan’s greatest games feature him spreading the ball around. He completed passes to eight different pass catchers in the first half. With Kyle Shanahan mixing up formations, opportunities were often there to dissect a injury-plagued Packers’ defense. Using different motions and bunches created mismatches, starting with Mohamed Sanu’s 13-yard catch against Micah Hyde on 3rd and 11.
The Falcons could go from spread to heavy formations in an instant with their personnel. With Taylor Gabriel running an orbit motion on a play action fake to Tevin Coleman, Green Bay was left disoriented, which led to Patrick DiMarco being wide open for a 31-yard gain. It was evident from the start that Shanahan would have his way against Dom Capers, similar to the first meeting between these teams in October.
Even when the Packers appeared to handle their coverage assignments, Ryan would leave the pocket and make a play out of structure. That happened on his first touchdown pass to Sanu, where he flipped it to the versatile wide receiver on the move. He did it on his next touchdown, where he baited linebacker Jake Ryan into believing he would throw, only to continue scrambling for a 14-yard rushing touchdown. It was all happening for the stellar quarterback.
Whether it was completing intermediate passes to his receivers or checkdowns to running backs, the offense was gaining yards at will. Sanu, Gabriel, Austin Hooper, and Tevin Coleman had their shining moments by either winning their individual matchup or making impressive plays after the catch, particularly Hooper, as he evaded multiple defenders to convert on a third and seven.
It was only a matter of time before the most dominant receiver in the league would make his mark. Two straight catches of 17+ yards by Julio Jones set the tone. Whether it was the beginning of sending LaDarius Gunter to different zip codes or making tough catches across the middle, he was going to be stellar. Another third-and-long conversion, where the seven-time Pro Bowler crossed under Sanu and Gabriel to gain 19 yards, left the Packers’ secondary searching for answers.
For all the success, Ryan nearly delivered two turnover gifts for Green Bay. A dangerous bomb to Aldrick Robinson, after being rushed out of the pocket, felt like an unnecessary heat check moment that should have ended with an interception. Attempting to thread the needle to Sanu for a touchdown while Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is reading his eyes could have ended badly. Those were two fortunate moments in an otherwise lights-out performance.
Scoring a combined three touchdowns in the first half of an NFC Championship is a major statement. Ryan was mostly making the right decisions, finding high-percentage looks to slice up the cheese. One of the most notable statistics came from the Falcons converting 10 of 13 third downs. Not being able to get off the field when the chance was there left the Packers helpless.
When they tried to get aggressive by crowding the line of scrimmage to rattle Ryan, he stayed composed to find the mismatch, which largely consisted of Gunter being completely overwhelmed on an island covering Jones. A sharp back-shoulder throw, where only the superstar receiver can get it, put the Falcons up 24-0 right before halftime.
The dome couldn’t have been more electric after a dominant first half. The defense did its part in setting the tone, from Jalen Collins forcing Aaron Ripkowski to fumble and recovering the ball to an outstanding sack on the ground by Ra’Shede Hageman to Ricardo Allen’s interception on a desperate heave from Rodgers. The party was on the verge of starting. It wouldn’t take long for the best quarterback and wide receiver in franchise history to put the finishing touches on a historic day.
Certified legend
It took less than 70 seconds into the second half for the Falcons to deliver the knockout blow. They had success running play action all game. The middle of Green Bay’s defense was constantly out of position, leaving Gunter once again isolated against Jones. Not even egregiously holding onto the superstar wide receiver was going to save the overmatched cornerback.
Jones got past him off his attempted jam at the line of scrimmage and burst through his tackle attempt after catching the ball. That was followed by a vicious stiff arm on Damarious Randall, leaving him on the ground. It was an iconic moment in a memorable season. The Georgia Dome was being sent off in legendary fashion. The 2016 NFL MVP and best wide receiver connected on a play that is up there as the peak moment in Falcons history.
Despite the game feeling over at 31-0, there were still more highlight-reel plays and touchdowns to be made. Jones made another extraordinary play, as Ryan had to force a pass down the middle into the intermediate area of the field off play action, after Mike Daniels beat Ryan Schreader with a swim move. The lofted ball ended in a leaping Jones catch, where Gunter flipped him over in mid-air after going low on the tackle. Jake Ryan was taken out in the process of an outrageous catch.
Similar to Ryan, this was one of Jones’ all-time greatest performances via catching nine passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns. The Packers couldn’t contain him, which played a big part in their inability to slow down Atlanta’s relentless offensive machine. A four-yard touchdown pass to Devonta Freeman capped off a remarkable five-touchdown performance.
Tevin Coleman’s four-yard rushing touchdown secured the Falcons’ sixth 40-burger of the season in a 44-21 victory. They were heading to the Super Bowl after missing out in 2013 in heartbreaking fashion. All of Ryan’s efforts to grow as a quarterback under Shanahan’s paid off in a phenomenal season.
After being heavily scrutinized for his subpar performances in 2015, he became an Atlanta legend in 2016. It was a season filled with electrifying offensive performances and dominant wins. Scoring 540 points signified how consistent they were with their preparation, commitment, persistence, and execution.
Honoring Ryan’s career felt important after becoming the team’s President of Football. What he did to lift the franchise immediately back up after the nightmare 2007 season will forever be cherished. His growth, leadership, intelligence, and poise are attributes that helped make him a stellar quarterback.
The commitment to evolve, no matter how limited people thought he was, pushed him to become the 2016 NFL MVP and perennial top-ten quarterback in his prime. What a remarkable career for a player who will continue his pursuit of bringing a championship to Atlanta in the next chapter of his life.
The Matt Ryan Masterclass Series List
Offensive juggernaut hits center stage
Thursday night takeover in Tampa
Rookie heroics against Chicago
